Cold Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 cups fresh or frozen tofu tortellini
• 14oz can or jar artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped
• 7oz jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 T. nutritional yeast
• Dressing Ingredients:
• 2 medium tomatoes, halved and seeded
• 2 T. red wine vinegar
• 1 T. virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil on the stove top. In a small bowl, pour enough of the boiling water over the sun-dried tomatoes to cover. Let stand for 30 minutes to rehydrate, then drain. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, cook the tortellini in the remaining boiling water until firmly cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

To prepare the dressing, rub the tomato halves over the coarse side of a grater above a small bowl until only the skins remain, then discard the skins. Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, minced garlic, and seasonings to the juiced tomatoes and whisk until well blended. Pour the dressing into a jar and seal. You may refrigerate the dressing for about 3 days.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the rehydrated tomatoes, cooked tortellini, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, scallions, cherry tomatoes and basil. Add salad dressing and toss to cover. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and chill before serving.